The event was held on the weekend of June 28 and 29 at the Saphan Hin Stadium in Phuket Town, with over 100 athletes ranging in age from six to 18 years old participating.
The Dojo Phuket team comprised of 12 athletes overall who managed to win 10 gold medals, nine silver and eight bronze, the perfect preparation for their next major tournaments in the United States later this month, stated lead instructor Alexis Plantard.
Young student Mikhail was especially impressive at the Saphan Hin event, winning three gold medals in one single day and affirming the progress he has made in the last few months, according to his coach.
His team-mate Timur was equally impressive, displaying high levels of confidence and sound technique to also claim three golds, while Aleksander confirmed his status as one of the team’s leading figures who never gives up by claiming two golds.
The occasion will forever be a memorable one for young Andrei who managed to win his first gold medal at competition level, as well as securing a silver and a bronze medal. “It was a beautiful day for him and one he will remember for a long time,” Alexis told The Phuket News.
“Andrei is the perfect example that continued dedication in training leads to progress and, ultimately, results in medals. He won his first medals at competitions in Singapore and Malaysia earlier this year but the first gold is always an extra special one,” he added.
Team captain David continued to lead by example, winning three bronze medals, as he continues his impressive development. “David is on course for his black belt, which I am confident he will secure next year,” commented Alexis. “He always leads by example to inspire those around him and he is ready for the upcoming events in the USA.”
Mayel and Meera both bagged silver medal trebles, with the former receiving special praise from his coach for his versatility and commitment. “Mayel is a fine athlete who always shows such firm determination and never gives up,” said Alexis. “This year so far has been an incredible one for him, with medals in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and not only in jiu-jitsu but different disciplines such as judo and wrestling. The sky is the imit for him, I believe.”
Coach Alexis was also quick to afford accolades to 8-year-old Meera who continues to develop and impress him. “She is, without doubt the most powerful athlete in her age group I have ever seen,” he explained. “She is not only incredibly strong but possesses a natural fighter’s instinct and is able to attack in a variety of different directions to overcome her opponent. She is a beast!”
Alexis was also sure to shower praise on Danil, who won a silver and two bronze and recently qualified for his blue belt status in the sport, Ashia, who won silver at Saphan Hin, and Johnathan, who left the event with a bronze medal hat-trick.
“What pleases me the most is as a team we are able to demonstrate our versaility in being able to not only compete and win medals at national and international level in jiu-jitsu, judo and wrestling,” Alexis said proudly. “It is a pleasure to work with such a willing and dynamic group of young students who only want to listen, learn and improve.”
Hard-fought
Prior to the Phuket event, Alexis competed at the 2025 Japan Veterans International Judo Championship at the Nishihara Shokai Arena in Kagoshima Prefecture on the weekend of June 14-15.
Battling it out against 15 other competitors in his weight class of 90-kilograms, Alexis finished in third place to secure a hard-fought bronze medal.
“It was the hardest event I have personally competed in so far this year,” the Frenchman told The Phuket News.
“I fought some extremely tough oponents who are revered in the judo world, such as Kyosuke Rakuyama and Yusuke Fujikawa, who I managed to beat in the last 16 and quarter-final rounds respectively. Unfortunately, I then came up against the extremely talented Yuta Takeda in the semi-final, who ultimately got the better of me,” he added.
“The quality of Japanese opponents is arguably the best in the world,” Alexis explained. “They possess a very specific style and are very technical with good grip. They seem to have a fine understanding of the sport and are able to move extremely fast and smoothly which makes it particularly difficult to compete against.
“However, as I always relay to my students, every contest is a learning curve, whether it ends in victory or defeat. It was important for me personally to win a medal at this event against an extremely tough field of opponents as it gives me huge confidence moving forward for future events.”
Next up for the team is the USA Jiu-Jitsu International Open in Hawaii next weekend (July 19-20) before they head to the US Judo International Open in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on the weekend of July 25-27.
For more information on classes and how to get involved please visit the Dojo Phuket Facebook page.